Capital One is of course a credit card powerhouse. In many ways, it has been a pioneer that brought a more scientific marketing approach to the business. Now for its next act: retail banking. Over two years, it has built a five-state bank with 720 branches. Drawing lots of headlines in the process. Richard Fairbank, the hockey-playing CEO and chairman, has faced some tough issues. After the company announced its deal to buy Hibernia, Hurricane Katrina blew in. Last month, Capital announced a sorely needed cost-cutting program. Its stock has been flat for more than 2 years. Is retail banking the answer? Well, there is an awful lot of competition. To become more than a niche player will be hard. Perhaps that explains the go-slow-for-now mentality. Somehow it's got to find a way to stick out.

For more:
- here's the New York Times profile of Fairbank